Consequences of asynchronous heading in a perennial bunchgrass (Elymus excelsus)

Abstract

Reproduction is vital to plant population adaptation. The consequences of asynchronous reproduction in a perennial bunchgrass grass is not well studied. The heading reproductive tillers from early to late forms a continuum due to asynchronous heading and flowering in Elymus excelsus population. In two peak years of production, the three-year-old and four-year-old reproductive tillers of experimental E. excelsus population were marked from the early to late heading stage every four days at five different heading times and these tillers were harvested at the dough stage, respectively. The growth, biomass, seed production and reproductive allocation were measured to analyze the consequences of asynchronous reproduction. Reproductive tiller height, biomass, inflorescence length, inflorescence biomass, floret number, seed number, seed biomass, seed-set percentage, biomass allocation to inflorescence (RA1) and to seed (RA2) significantly decreased with the delay of heading date over the two years. Above ten phenotypic characteristics exponentially increased at a significant or extremely significant level with increasing differences in reproductive period. Reproductive tillers preferentially allocated the biomass to inflorescences, and then the inflorescences preferentially allocated the biomass to seeds throughout reproductive period. Earlier heading tillers had more contribution to E. excelsus population adaptation and development in the two peak years of production.